DIY Laminate Flooring

So you want to tackle the job of putting down your own laminate flooring. If you think you are handy enough to accomplish this job, read your instruction manual to make sure it is put down properly. There are a few tips that you may need to know about to ensure that it will look like a professional job. The last thing you want to do is have a floor that looks like a two-year-old put it down.

The first step to installing anything is to measure your room. That will tell you how much of the flooring you need and if you need to do any adjusting to make a special fit at the beginning or the end. You may want to make a sketch of the room with the doors and any special cutouts that need to be made such as a fireplace hearth.

The flooring will look best if it runs at a right angle to the flooring joists. Running them in the same direction as the longest wall in your room will make certain that they end up with a professional installation look.

Prepare the floor before you begin by removing everything from the room. Clean it of all dirt and debris. Take up any nails or tacks that may have held carpet down. The underlay that will help to keep moisture from building up under the flooring will need to be put down. Make sure it is even and wrinkle free. Any seams need to be taped.

When you put the first flooring plank down, use spacers between the wall and the first plank. When you do this make sure the first plank is put down evenly with the same amount of space at each end between the plank and the wall. To achieve the look of natural hardwood floors, when you put the second piece in, it needs to be a half of a board. By doing this your floor will look more natural and it helps strengthen it.

These flooring planks are made with locking strips so they will fit together perfectly. At the end, you may have to cut a piece to fit. Very rarely do you come out even so that a whole board can be used. That is why it is very important to measure before you ever put the first board down. You do not want the last board you put down to vary a lot from the others. This will ruin the look you are going for.

Leaving a space around all four edges of the room will allow them to expand and contract. After you remove all your spacers, it is time to put the trim around the room. This needs to be done very carefully using trim cutters to make precise cuts and an adhesive for this purpose. Make sure the trim is attached to the skirting and not the flooring. By putting the adhesive only on the top of the trim, you will not run the risk of it getting on the flooring. If this happens, it will interfere with the laminate flooring’s ability to expand and contract.